


The Kitsune

by Abby_Ebon



Series: Odd Bits [9]
Category: X-Men (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-10
Updated: 2012-07-10
Packaged: 2017-11-09 14:09:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/456353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abby_Ebon/pseuds/Abby_Ebon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Logan could have ran her over in the road, but how was he to know the fox was a woman?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Kitsune

**-Canada-**

Wolverine, known as Logan, was driving down an abandoned road, a cigar between his parted lips. It was an odd feeling, the smoke filling his lungs, damaging them for moments before his body healed itself. It was enough to keep him up as he drove along the dark road- and that's all he really cared about.

He squinted as he caught sight of the headlights glinting off something silver in the middle of the road. Slowing, he stopped when he saw the smear of red on the white iced- over snow-- and the creature's fur.

Something about it tugged at him, grunting Wolverine stopped his jeep and got out walking over to the blood covered road kill. Keeling by it Wolverine's eyes narrowed, it looked to be an artic fox, with one too many tails.

 _Now that's something you don't see every day- a fox with two tails_. Wolverine thought with some amusement.

Suddenly, it lifted its tiny head, large ears twitching. Its gold eyes looked into his, it let out a soft whine, then opened its muzzle to reveal its sharp canines -- its tongue sticking out from dehydration.

Wolverine snorted, the thing was adorable -and he was sure any woman would be cooing over it. Somehow he couldn't bring himself to let it die on the road. Sighing, Wolverine reached for it, not fearing rabies (or any diseases), that would stop any other John or Jane Doe.

Scooping it up in his hands, he cushioned it between his arm and chest; slowly as not to startle it, he got up and headed for his vehicle. Helet it rest in the seat beside him, cushioned by some old shirts. He had wrapped around it's back leg and left side, and thenwiped up the blood.

"You know your're probably the only fox to ride shot gun in Canada." Wolverine said, as he smiled at the small fox. He got into the drivers side, deciding to head the nearest town, in hopes of finding a vet.

A few hours later, Logan had driven into a nearby town, the little fox wasn't whimpering or whining in pain anymore. In fact after he had given it some water it had fallen asleep. Unfortunately, it seemed this town's vet was on the _other_ side of town. Anotherhalf an hour, and Logan pulled into the parking space.

Slowly getting out with the artic fox tucked to his chest, Logan made his way inside the vet's house. With a little hesitation, Logan pulled the second door open, making noteof the waiting table and chairs and the books stacked on a bookcase in the corner.

Petting the little one, who made a confused whimper as it'sgreat golden eyes opened to take in its new surrounds. Everything was strange and new to it, except for the scent of the man holding it.

A few more steps and Logan was at the front desk. The little fox whimpered fearfully as the new smells and colors that assaulted it's nose and golden eyes.

"'Ello! Is anyone here?" Logan hollered, as the silver fox started to wriggle in fright. Logan tried to sooth its fur but it only let out frightened whimpers . Logan noticed his blood caked shirt sleeve - acting as a bandage, was getting loose.

With a curse, Logan held the fox tighter- afraid it'd get away and hurt itself worse as he worked to tighten the shirt sleeve he spoke soothingly to it.

"Easy lil' guy I'm not going to let anyone hurt you…" Frightened the fox kit let itself be manhandled back into the bandage/shirt sleeve. A woman's laugh echoed in the vet's living room which acted as her office. Logan looked up face flushed in embarrassment from being caught baby talking the fox kit.

"How adorable, let me see?" The woman, who was Asian- asked as she reached out a hand for the fox kit. Logan reluctantly passed her the kit, and she smiled in thanks.

"It has some sort of a mutation with its tails- it has two." Wolverine explained as the veterinarian looked the little kit over. The vets eyebrow rose and she gently checked the kit over.

"Indeed- your name sir?" The woman asked petting the kits fur soothingly.

"Logan." He stated as the vet nodded again, taking out a paper formand a pen, writing on it as she gently petted the kit.

"And your last name?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. Logan shrugged a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Wolverine." He decided finally. After all his other alias was as good as a last name.

"Where did you find the fox?" Logan shifted and looked downat the kit in the woman's arms.

"In the middle of the road- it looked like a hit and run." Logan explained, as the kit seemed more and more aware that he wasn't with Logan and more inclined to struggle.

"So it's not your pet?" The vet asked, Logan shook his head-his face was set in a frown.

"No, just found it this morning." Logan stated dryly, he didn't think he looked like the sort who'd keep a pet- especially not one so puny and helpless.

"Is there a way to contact you?" She asked, Logan snorted. The woman looked insulted.

"I'll be at the trailer park I guess." Logan said, scratching the back of his neck. Truthfully he hadn't thought to stay very long after dropping the kit off.

"The kits seems to have bonded with you, it would be stressful for it if you weren't there to take care of it." The vet told him passing the kit back to the surprised Logan.

"But I don't know anything about foxes!" Logan insisted. The woman smiled serenely, and the kits big golden eyes blinked up at him. Logan groaned.

"It's injures are merely surface cuts, it seems very tame. I trust you to take care of it for several months. It will be fully healed and able to care for itself by that time." The woman said softly rubbing the kits ears.

"How do I get in contact with you?" Asked Logan as the content fox kit snuggled against him.

"My name is Sukia Lee. Don't forget to change its bandages daily. It's a carnivore and should be able to eat fish and soft fresh meat." The vet said nodding to the door; Logan sighed and decided to take care of the artic fox he had been dumped with.

Logan turned to go but was called back by vet Lee's soft voice.

"Oh and Wolverine." Logan turned back the kit calmed and half asleep in his arms.

"Yeah?" Logan asked wondering if she would take the fox kit back if he asked nicely.

"The fox kit is a girl. I suggest the name Aneres." Vet Lee told him with a small smirk. Logan rolled his eyes and left. 'Sukia Lee' chuckled and shifted into a blue skinned, red headed, woman with yellow-gold eyes similar to the artic fox kit.

"It was nice seeing you again Logan- I should have warned that Aneres was no fox. Though somehow I think this will prove to be more amusing" A small smirk tilted Mystiques lips.

It was night, the trailer park was quiet, pale moonlight glinted off the windows and shown off the metallic trailers. Even such faint light made it impossible for Wolverine to sleep.

That and the kit, which he had taken to calling Aneres, as the woman had suggested. He was no good with making up names; Aneres was as good of one as any.

Likewise the kit seemed to be having trouble sleeping, the gold eyes shined by the moonlight- giving them an eerie look. Luminous gold eyes blinked at him, and Wolverine grunted as he got up to check on the kit.

The kit lay still as Logan checked its bandage. Frowning he decided it needed to be changed- grabbing another long sleeved shirt, which was tight on the shoulder's on him.

The other sleeve had been ripped off to provide the first bandage, and Logan knew he wouldn't bemoan the sleeves' loss. It'd probably more comfortable on him now.

Gently, he undid the sleeve-bandage soothing the kit's bloodied fur as he checked its injury and thought to himself that the kit needed to get it cleaned out.

Cradling it against him he made his way outside the ripped off sleeve dangling from his other hand.

The stream wasn't far from the trailer park and Wolverine knelt by the waters edge, setting the kit down next to him. Then he began the painstaking process of thoroughly cleaning the kits injury.

He worked till dawns light touched the sky, even with the night's work the silver fur was still a light pink as the kit hadn't bled all night. Or if she had, the sleeve had cleaned it just as quick.

The kit had fallen asleep sometime during the night, Wolverine noted with a tinge of amusement.

Wolverine eyed the water logged bandage; strangely the blood hadn't seeped into the cloth. He decided that it could still be used as a bandage once it dried.

The other 'bandage' he had brought had soaked most of the night, then he had let it dry- it was still damp but it was better then nothing, and Logan used it to wrap around the fox kits injury.

Of course the kit woke up when Wolverine was bandaging its wounds it snarled softly in warning. Logan snorted and the kit seemed to come to its senses and realize it was Logan and not some stranger attacking it.

When it calmed Logan gathered it in his arms once again and took the other bandage from the shore. A short walk to the trailer park, and Logan had set the kit in its customary seat- the passenger's side.

Logan remembered what the vet had said about food for the kit and got out some dear meat that he had caught nearly a week ago.

It was the only thing in his small fridge other then tofu and beer and Logan grumbled realizing that he'd have to get some food.

Not to mention gas, but that meant money and there was only one place he knew where he could get beer _and_ make money.

That was cage fighting at a bar in town- Logan didn't have to ask to know there was one, most small, out- of- the- way towns around where he was had at least one.

Wolverine tilted his head when the kit only sniffed the meat and looked up at him with a look that said plain as day ' _you_ expect _me_ to eat _that_?'

Logan rolled his eyes at the kit and got out the tofu- maybe it was a vegetarian fox. Stranger things could happen.

Logan put the meat back in the fridge and choked when he saw the kit happily munching on the tofu he had put out in half-jest.

"Jesus, what else would you eat?" Logan muttered as he watched in disbelief as the fox devoured tofu. He shook his head and settled down on his cot to sleep- he'd need his strength to fight that night.

"I think I've seen it all." Logan muttered to himself half-sleep.

**-Aneres's POV/ Flash Back-**

_It was over, the life she knew, and the friends she had had. All of it was gone, and she couldn't care less. Drug's dulled her mind and it was safer in the small form._

_It thought less, and there was only instinct. It made up for it with the heightened senses. It wasn't a normal artic fox form, but then she wasn't a normal girl._

_They told her she was a mutant that her powers had developed late, and had come on strong because of that._

_She had been in the small form that she forgot herself. Even her true name, she began to enjoy the simple things. The smell of food- playing with her tails, these were the good things._

_The dark place was where she was kept, metal bars and cement floors. A few dog toys that still smelled of dog were thrown in by the bad people._

_The bad people did experiments on her it was they who told her she was bad for being a mutant- that the experiments were her punishment._

_She wasn't the only one, the only bad mutant. She was the only one who had the small form- who could forget herself in her small form. The Small One's form had no concept of time while in the bad place._

_She could have been in the bad place for years or days or hours. It didn't matter to the Small One's form, and it didn't mater to her._

_Then the boom happened and the bad place was falling around her and she had to get out._

_She was the only one who got out, except form the humans who hunted for her._

_The Small One's instincts were good and she eluded them for days, hunting to eat._

_Then one day the Small One's instincts wanted to go away from the gravel place- it was unnatural but it awoke the Other._

_The Other was strange and wanted to follow the gravel path. The Other's power overthrew the Small One because The Beast followed the Other._

_So the Small One followed the Other's direction and then a bad person saw her, shot at her and she was hit._

_She hid for days, then the Other and the Beast demanded she go to the gravel path._

_The Small One obeyed and prepared to die on the gravel path. Then a huge creature came and stopped._

_Something as strange as the Other came to her and took her to the creature._

_The Small One knew he, for it was a he, he was as alien to her as the Other but had the feel of the Beast. But she knew he was trying to help her and she allowed it._

_Time passed and the Small One dozed he took her to a stranger who stirred the Other into remembering flashes of a past that the Small One did not understand and therefore deemed unimportant._

_He was kind and helped her clean her wounds. Then he tried to feed her meat and the Other rebelled so strongly and fiercely that the Small One could not bare to touch it._

_Then he gave her something else and though she knew it to be jest the Other allowed her to eat it. Small One was starved and devoured it eagerly even if she would have preferred the meat the Other had refused._

_Then he went to sleep and she followed._

**-End Flash Back-**

Logan awoke to the kit's whimpers and quickly went to her side to see if her injury had reopened. It hadn't but the kit was dreaming and Logan petted it till it quieted.

"So you have nightmares too, eh little one?" Logan spoke when it opened its eyes and whined softly. Logan patted its head and the kit stretched onto its belly.

Logan shook his head and took the kits silent advice as he stretched, making his back pop and toes curl.

Logan looked outside, the sun was just beginning to set, and he knew he had a few hours to go before he had to go to the bar to cage fight.

The kit yipped and playfully swatted at his hand. Logan looked down it with a raised eyebrow. It'd ear twitched and gold eyes blinked up at him, Logan chuckled and rubbed Aneres's belly.

The rest of the evening that Logan had was spent playing with the suddenly playful kit.

When he left the spared a thought to what might happen to his stuff, but he had nothing of any real worth so he didn't think much of leaving Aneres alone with his stuff.

Wolverine should have spared more then 'a thought' for his stuff at the nonexistent mercy of the artic fox kit.

* * *

Wolverine stared at the mess of his trailer in disbelief.

Aneres meanwhile, hadn't noticed his appearance, and was still thoroughly enjoying chewing up his shoe.

 _How can something so small make such a huge mess?_ Logan wondered staring at it (his trashed trailer) in a mixture of horror and awe.

The walls, and what paint and wood furnishings they had had on them, had claw marks dragging to the floor.

The seats had been gnawed on so thoroughly that the stuffing was coming out of them.

All clothes had been dragged out of the tiny chest and were spread liberally across the floor.

His (extra pair) shoes were chewed to ribbons.

To top it all off _every_ article of clothing he saw had rips, tears, and holes in them.

He was suddenly very glad he had nothing of any real value in his trailer, especially nothing glass, or that was breakable.

Wolverine turned around and slammed the trailer door as hard as he could, then he leaned against the door, taking deep _calming_ breaths.

He was no neat freak but that, _little_ _monster_ , had just thrown away the few hundred he had won in the cage fight he had had just that night.

 _Maybe I imagined it?_ Logan thought hopefully. Turning around he closed his eyes and went into the trailer again. One eye opened, saw the mess, and now both eyes glared at the perpetrator.

Who rolled over onto his clothes, its belly exposed, and legs stretched out to the side. Adorable, supposedly innocent, gold eyes blinked up at him. Logan snorted.

"You'll have to do better then that." Wolverine told her as he eyed the disaster zone, reluctant to start cleaning it up.

A soft whine, and he paused in surveying his ruined trailer to look down, the silver furred kit rubbed against his leg beseechingly.

Logan grumbled under his breath as he bent to pick up the kit.

"You could get away with murder with that act kit." He muttered, and then he sighed when the stretched in his hands to lick at his chin.

"Alright you're forgiven, and I get the hint- you need chew toys." Logan told her, as he set the kit on the passenger seat, and set to work on cleaning the trailer.

Soon a pile of clothes began those that he could use- and those with too many rips in odd places to use.

Unsurprisingly the ones he couldn't use anymore far surpassed the ones he could use.

The ruined clothes and the shoes went to the trash. There was nothing he could do about the furniture or walls; he eyed the kit as he put away his clothes.

She still sat innocently on the passenger seat watching him work.

"Your lucky your cute kit, or you'd be going out with the trash, wounded or not." Logan told her partly jesting and partly serious.

This was her only warning, if she tore up anything else she was out in the wild were she (so he thought) belonged.

Aneres whined, and he rubbed her fur soothingly. She was also, luckily, a baby animal. Logan didn't like to admit it, but he had a soft spot for kids and small animals.

"Well personally, I think the claws-on-walls add a kind of character to this old place, don't you thing so?" Logan asked her, as he petted her, she bumped his hand in what he supposed was agreement.

"Nothing I can do about the furniture though. Guess I'll throw a cover over it to protect it from your teeth." Logan didn't know why he was talking to the fox.

None the less she seemed to understand him well enough-which he thought was a little odd, but he wasn't one to question such things.

Besides, in Logan's opinion, everyone needs someone, or something, to talk to once in a while.

Logan wasn't exempt from this, and he wasn't sure he ever wanted to meet someone who was. If there was such a being- there probably wasn't.

Logan laid down after he got out some more of that tofu Aneres had had the other day.

 _She's probably been hungry too_ , he thought as she ate the tofu. He didn't know for certain but he thought kits probably ate more then once a day.

That meant he'd have to get more food for her soon. For now though, it was nearly dawn, and Logan was exhausted.

As he was laying down, his arm tucked under his head, he started to doze. Suddenly there was a weight on his chest and he blinked at the silver fur ball that was on his chest.

Rolling his eyes he tried, and succeeded, in ignoring her and falling asleep.

He awoke to his kit hissing and a dog barking at the trailer door. Aneres claws were sharp (proved by the walls) and she was crouched, her claws digging painfully into his skin, on his chest.

Where she had fallen asleep last night, he remembered.

He knew he would heal so he wasn't worried about that. What he was worried about was her reaction to the dog; he had never done any research on foxes, so he couldn't know that foxes were terrified of dogs.

"Easy kit, he can't come in here." Logan whispered soothingly to her, she buried her head in his hair- which really wasn't a far stretch from his chest for her, even if she was a tiny thing.

"Ritz! Get away from that trailer!" Yelled mans voice, just as Logan was about to go out and shoo the dog away.

Even after the dog was long gone, Aneres still huddled on his chest, shaking in fear as he tried to sooth her with gentle pets and calming words. Finally she felt comfortable enough to release him from her claws.

She was still shaky though so he continued to pet her until he fell asleep again.

He awoke again sometime later at night; the kit was still curled up on his chest so he set her down on the cot so she could sleep.

He had a gut feeling that tonight would prove to be interesting.

He softly shut and locked the door behind him, silently reminding himself to get chew toys and tofu when he finished cage fighting for the night.

* * *

Aneres had gotten used to the dreams-that-weren't and the man-with-metal-claws. She hadn't gotten used to the trailer, and she made that plain to the man-with-metal-claws.

At least she thought she had, apparently trashing the place wasn't a good indicator of her discomfort for him.

Aneres sniffed delicately at the door, scratching at it- whining upset, and a little fearful.

She knew she couldn't get out- and couldn't escape. That made her venerable- never mind dogs couldn't get in, something could catch fire or she could starve- or dehydrate.

Aneres whined higher in her desperation, pushing and scratching at the trailer door.

Her ears twitched, hearing movement outside, she yip-barked. It was a high pitch noise to catch the attention of those outside the metal walls- and tell them of her need of aid.

"Hello? Is anyone in there?" A voice asked uncertainly. It was strange compared to man-with-metal-claws, a slow drawl.

So it was that Aneres's calls for help had not gone unanswered. The movement she had sensed was a person, a person that was tugging at the trailer door.

"Do you need help?" The voice sounded surer of her self- for it was female.

Aneres yipped loudly in encouragement for her rescuer, and the tugging stopped, but she knew she was still there.

Aneres could hear noises where the small hole was at.

"I'm coming in…So last warning!" The voice warned hesitantly she opened the trailer door.

Auburn hair and surprised green eyes greeted the artic fox. It was then Aneres thought that this might not have been the best idea- the girls green eyes roamed the trailer before settling on the artic fox again.

"Hey there little guy," The stranger said as she crouched down to the fox's level holding out her gloved hand uneasily.

"My name's Rogue." The girl said by way of explanation as Aneres cautiously approached her hand and sniffed carefully.

The girl certainly didn't smell like danger, so Aneres knew she wasn't an imminent threat.

"Wonder what kind of critter you are…" Rogue murmured softly, and Aneres allowed Rogue to pet her, though the cloth barrier did irate her fur.

"Now, want to explain why were you making that racket? Hm?" Rogue questioned teasingly scratching the fox kits ears.

Aneres whined softly she only knew she didn't like being left alone, and kept locked in.

Rogue looked around and scrunched up her nose shaking her head at the mess.

"Never mind darling, I think I can more then sympathize." Rogue murmured empathically, looking for food and water. None of which Logan had set out.

"Come on darling; let's get you something to eat." Rogue murmured, getting a piece of paper and pencil- leaving the note on the freeze box for the kits owner.

_Your dog made a racket at the door, going to treat it to food and water. You can get it back at the hotel._

_-Rogue_

There was only one hotel in town, so Rogue figured the person would know where it was.

Rogue gently scooped the kit into her arms, closing the trailer door behind her.

The last thing Logan expected when he came back with groceries that night was to find the trailer door open and a stranger's sent in _his_ trailer. _His_ fox (called a _dog_ of all things!) gone, and a note on the freeze box.

In a fury in the dead of night, Logan tracked the scent to the only hotel in town. He couldn't help but imagine the worst scenarios- the stranger could have abused Aneres, or locked her in a cage; she could be in an illegal animal fight ring.

Such images raced around his mind as he went his trailer; following the scent from there he had no problems finding the stranger and _his_ fox.

The only problem was that the stranger was a female, and his fox was happily lapping at a bowl of milk.

"Who the heck are you?" The girl demanded at a screech, making Wolverine wince at her pitch.

"The 'owner' of that _dog_." Wolverine growled, pointing at Aneres who yipped happily and ran to rub against Wolverine's legs.

"Which is in fact a _fox_." Wolverine finished, the girl blinked at him, startled at his sudden appearance- and the kit's welcoming reaction.

"Oh…you read the note then?" The girl asked uneasily. Wolverine nodded abruptly, and she sighed.

"Well, I'm Rogue. Aren't you supposed to have a license to keep a fox and just where was the water and food for him?" The girl feeling threatened yelled at him.

"Firstly the fox is a she! Secondly I was out buying food and water!" _And 'working' to get the money…_ Logan yelled back frustrated with the teenager. The last part he kept to himself.

"The license?" Rogue demanded, unwilling to let Logan get the upper hand in the argument.

"The vet never said I needed one." Logan stated dryly, Aneres had finished 'greeting' Logan; she had moved on to smelling his boots to find where he had been.

"Oh..." Rogue murmured softly, Logan sighed. Now he felt bad about yelling at the girl, who although miss guided was only trying to help.

"Good night… kid." Logan said abruptly and picked up Aneres, wary of her injures, and left the kid in the hotel. On his way to the trailer park took the time to rant at Aneres.

"See what you get yourself into when I'm away?" Logan grumbled, Aneres far from being unconcerned, whined and licked Logan's chin.

"I guess we'll leave tomorrow, but I've got to cage fight one more time so we have enough money for the trip." Logan continued, gaining an odd look from a passerby, for talking to an animal.

The next night Logan followed through with his words. Aneres was 'good' as she didn't whine, or scratch at the door, and Logan came back early enough to get out of town that night.

On the way out of town he was Rogue hitchhiking. Seeing her Aneres whined at Logan and scratched at the window- as if trying to tell him to pick her up.

Logan groaned softly but stopped and Rogue cautiously got in, buckling the seat belt, Aneres smugly settled on her lap.

* * *

In truth Aneres had smelt the creep –Sabertooth, _before_ Logan stopped. She hadn't been able to warn them because of the memories that boiled and burst at her. It was as if she was held over a boiling pot, but in these memories –compared to the others Aneres knew would burn her.

**-Aneres's POV/ Flash Back-**

_It was before the cage- before the Small One._

_The one the Small One called Other was the bits of humanity left from being in the Small One's form, locked away so deep from the mental anguish that the humanness in her body and mind had faded till there was only Aneres-the-fox._

_…and The Beast, which fought to put the humanity- the Other, itself, and the Small One together- meld them into one perfect being._

_But this was before all that._

_Before the Beast had ever been- before the Small One had ever been._

_This memory was all Other- all human. When she had been a normal girl, off to visit friends…_

_Aneres- her name as it had been then was the same as now, walked the streets of her small town unafraid. It was dusk, and dogs behind the neighbors fences yapped only a little at her passing._

_Aneres disliked dogs- but did not hate them as the Small One did. She thought nothing of the few blocks between her house and her friends. They had lived here since Aneres could remember._

_Aneres was quite sure she knew her town back and forth- and the people just as well. So it was that she paid very little attention to the dogs, and this perhaps could have prevented her capture._

_Aneres didn't know that she was the daughter of a mutant and shared her father's genes; she had after all been adopted at a very young age. So young that she didn't remember them, young enough to be called an infant._

_Aneres was luckily that she had been adopted as a baby- and she knew it._

_Though it was obvious she was adopted, she was Asian and her adopted parents were brown haired and brown eyed. Life, so far, had been good. Aneres wasn't a cheerleader- in band, or choir, or in any sports but she got good grades- had a few good friends and her teachers liked her._

_But all that was about to change, she was 18; she would never graduate within the week like everyone else was supposed too._

_"Hello pretty…" A voice- husky, dangerous, and meant to send a chill down your spine, reached Aneres's ears just as a hand enclosed over her mouth (before she could scream- or make any noise for that matter), and a arm went around her waist immobilizing her._

_"Be careful with her Sabertooth!" A female voice hissed - just as dangerous. The man, if it could be called a man- chuckled and nuzzled terror filled Aneres's neck._

_"Whatever you say Mystique…" Sabertooth answered. With that a girl was kidnapped from all she had ever known- and other then a frantic town search and a milk carton picture, nothing made national news. For there weren't any clues and many, even those among her small town, suspected she had run away._

_For Aneres no help ever came, and her captors used this against her._

**-End Flash Back-**

Aneres could not convey her terror at the scent, and by the time she came to her senses Logan was out of the truck, fighting for his life. All she could do to help was to bite though the seat belt that kept Rogue locked inside the burning trailer.

Then Aneres was nearly forgotten as she huddled in Rogue's lap as the strangers who had saved them took them away from the place of the monsters scent.

There she decided to stick with Rogue as the strangers went to heal Wolverine. If he awoke, she reckoned it would be one less thing for Logan to find if she and Rogue were in one place.

Still the old frightening scent lingered, and Aneres felt the longing for frantic cleaning of her fur and her humans.

It was in this way that Professor Xavier didn't find anything odd about the artic fox the southern belle clutched- for all he received from it was still recovering terror.

The Other had already receded farther. If it continued all that would be left of the Other would be the Beast- and it was no better then the Small One in human emotions and reasoning.

Aneres turned out to be correct with her assumption that Wolverine would escape- indeed he 'escaped' into Professor X's class. After that was a blur of words Aneres paid no mind too, as she wasn't expected too, it would be hard to explain if it were otherwise.

Aneres ended up sleeping at the foot of Logan's bed, which was perhaps the worst place she could have been.

* * *

Aneres was _comfortably_ sleeping atop the blankets; tail touching the tip of her nose- with the occasional ear twitch, her back resting against Logan's blanketed feet. Then, quite rudely, Logan's foot pushed her away.

Half awake the kit yipped angrily, eyed the deceitful foot, bared her teeth in warning, and curled up _on top_ of Logan's feet, sniffing as if to say ' _Ha! That will teach him!_ ' and closed her eyes.

It was not to be- a few minutes later, enough for Aneres to fall into a light doze Logan struggled underneath the fox's weight. Not to say she was heavy- more that he felt trapped.

Aneres was just waking up again when Logan let out a half growl-half whimper and _kicked_ Aneres off his feet- and onto the floor.

The next time Aneres slept anywhere near Logan she intended to remember two things. One Wolverine had nightmares. Two he kicked - _hard_.

After recovering from such a rude awakening Aneres began to worry. AS she was unhurt she cautiously approached the head of the bed, whining she approached his hand- clenched into a fist, and licked it.

The reaction was that Logan tensed- as if experiencing pain at her touch- or what he dreamed.

Aneres was at a loss and was ever so grateful to see her other human opening Logan's door.

Rogue worried at Aneres whimpers approached Logan- and found him asleep- not dead as she had half feared.

" Logan?" Rogue half whispered he didn't respond- so it was a nightmare.

" Logan, wake up." Rogue continued, unwilling to shake Logan as her touch deadly, and she hadn't brought her gloves.

Just then Logan let out a sound that scared Rogue into action, placing her hand on his undershirt she shock him lightly- calling out his name a little louder.

Logan still lost in his dream suddenly screamed half sitting up. When he came to his senses his metal claws were embedded in Rogue's chest. Her green eyes- wide and disbelieving stared into his shocked ones.

Logan let the claws retract- and she fell a little ways before he caught her.

Logan's eyes scrambled around the room looking for a miracle- Aneres was hiding just under the bed, and his door was open; he could hear people running to his room.

Could even smell them when they arrived but his attention was on Rogue. Aneres whined and approached nuzzling them comfortingly.

Up until then no one had really known what Rogue's powers were- gasping for breath- her own blood choking her, she did what she had to too survive.

Rogue touched Logan- she knew he had the healing factor, and she prayed he'd be alright as she brushed his cheek with her hand.

Logan's eyes rolled up in his head and fall to the floor- but Rogue was alive and fearing that Logan was dead- Rogue ran. Aneres somehow knew her human was running away from _them_ \- everyone who feared her.

Aneres debated between staying with Logan- or going after Rogue, really it wasn't a choice- she knew Logan's mind- he would go after Rogue. As he could track Aneres better then Rogue, Logan then _needed_ Aneres to be with Rogue.

And Rogue _needed_ Aneres as a comfort -to know that she _wasn't_ a monster- and _was_ loved.

So after making sure Logan's pulse was still going, which it was, Aneres scampered after Rogue.

It wasn't hard for Aneres to convince Rogue she needed her. It truth it was Rogue who needed Aneres- but that was beside the point.

Rogue packed and left- with Aneres in her arms, as everyone fretted over the unconscious Logan.

Almost predictably her human choose a train station, and Aneres didn't know how she knew this was one of the quickest ways to travel- or how it was predictable.

She just did- the Other's humanness, although buried was 'leaking' out. Small one hoped this was good.

Among the scents and sights- and shear amount of sounds; Aneres was lost. She wouldn't have known if a dog was near- let alone Wolverine.

For Rogue it was confusing, for Aneres it was intolerable.

* * *

Rogue settled in a seat on a train, which was going somewhere she didn't know where, she didn't care so long as it took her away from here. The way they had looked at her was enough- they didn't trust her, and who knew if Wolverine would live?

Aneres, nestled in her lap, whined, and the fox rubbed against her head aginst Rogue's gloved hand. Rogue wondered if Aneres knew she had as well as killed Wolverine. If Aneres knew that- would the fox be as willing to be petted by her poison skin?

For the moment Aneres didn't seem too worried.

Rogue glanced over and saw a little boy with his mother, and felt a longing for her own family- most of all for the touch of another.

"Hey kid…" A voice which had grown familiar reached her ears, and she turned to see Wolverine. Rogue was too surprised to protest when Logan sat down in the seat next to her.

Aneres yipped a greeting to Wolverine, moving to lick at his chin. Which broke the nervous and tense mood and made Rogue giggle, Logan frowned and pushed Aneres away from his face.

"Yuck dog kisses." Logan muttered as he rubbed his chin, Aneres tilted her head- as if to say 'I'm no dog, what are you -blind?' and Wolverine snorted in amusement.

"So are you alright?" Logan said awkwardly to Rogue, who nodded while petting Aneres, who had seated herself half on Rogue's leg and half on Wolverine's lap.

"I think so, I thought you were dead…They looked at me as if I had attacked you…" Rogue whispered, Logan nodded searching for something else to say.

"Well I'm not, and if you come back we'll straiten 'em out- even if we have to announce it in a school wide meeting!" Logan joked, Rogue laughed, and Aneres relaxed all was right with her humans and she was content.

"So… are you running again?" Logan asked seriously, Rogue shrugged.

"I don't know, are you?" Logan snorted and shook his head.

"Nah, I think their rubbing off on me. 'Sides I think Wheels can really help you, you know? He wants to at least, think we ought to give them all another chance?" Logan asked a half grin on his lips.

"I guess." Rogue murmured softly.

"Good, cause I kind of barrowed Cyclops bike. I don't think he'd take too kindly to me not returning it." Logan admitted, and both laughed softly over that.

"Come on kid; let's get back to that school." Logan said, beginning to stand- only to have the train start. Logan sighed and sat back down; Rogue chewed her lip nervously staring out the window.

"Hope no one takes his bike…" Rogue heard Logan mutter.

Rogue felt Logan tense, and suddenly the train screeched to a halt. A metal suitcase suddenly stood upright, and Logan stood. Rogue held tightly to Aneres, who'd tensed growling into a tiny ball of fur and two twitching tails.

The back of the train twisted and groaned as it opened, like a tunnel being revealed by the words 'open sesame' then as smoke floated away a man _floated onto_ the train.

Wolverine's claws came out, and the man seemed to smile at him.

"I do hope that wonderful metal doesn't run through your entire body." Murmured the man as he brought his arm up and spread his fingers. Logan's claws moved slowly apart and Logan gasped for breath pained, even as Magneto lifted his body.

"What do you want with me?" Logan growled Magneto raised an eyebrow.

"Whoever said I wanted _you_?" With dawning horror Logan glanced at Rogue who clutched the squirming, hissing, Aneres.

" _No_ …" Logan whispered, and Magneto flicked his fingers and Logan flew backwards- hit the door with his arms outspread and kept going till he was out of sight.

Magneto watched as Rogue got up and made a useless attempt to run away- in the direction Logan had been thrown. Magneto threw a tranquilizer dart at her, and picked Rogue (up by her waist) and the hissing Aneres (by the scruff of the neck) up.

Once he got outside he passed Rogue to Toad, and Sabertooth pleased growled when Magneto passed Aneres to him.

"Bad foxy." Sabertooth growled to Aneres, who froze, going limp when Sabertooth smirked.

The three made their way outside the train station where Mystique was to pick them up.

They were stopped, predictably, by police who had gotten there too late.

"Put your hands up!" Yelled one of the cops, Sabertooth snorted as Magneto did just that- lifting two police vehicles as he did so and crashing them into two others. Magneto tensed as Sabertooth's hand came in contact with his throat.

" _That's enough Eric_." Sabertooth- controlled by Xavier, said as Toad- also controlled- moved away with Rogue unconscious in his grasp.

"Fine if that's how you want it- _Charles_." Magneto jerked the guns out of the grasp of their owners and swung them around to face their previous holders, as the crowd that had gathered gasped in horror.

Xavier however sensed something surprising- it had puzzled him at first. Why had Eric allowed Sabertooth to keep Rogue's and Logan's pet? Now it made since, deep within Aneres was intelligence- _human intelligence_.

As Magneto threatened the people, Xavier urged that intelligence to take back its body, _to help them_.

Xavier made Sabertooth drop Aneres- and the crowd of police, civilians, and news crew watched what happened next in a mixture of horror and awe as the small two tailed fox changed before their eyes.

Aneres felt the Other rise, and the Beast urged the Other on and the Small One stepped aside.

Slowly the silver furred fox with two tails grew till it was the height of Sabertooth's chest.

Aneres's hair- silver as her fur had been fell to her knees, making a kind of mane around her face and chest. Her skin was pale- and a silver shine of short fur covered her.

Her nails were small black claws; her eyes as gold as the foxes had been were luminous in the night. Her nose and mouth were drawn together to form a small snout- but was most startling were that the fox ears and two tails, though larger were still present.

It was a very good thing that her hair was so long- she obviously didn't have any clothes on.

" _Damn it Charles!_ " Magneto yelled firing the guns- miraculously the men lived.

 _Get Rogue!_ Charles ordered Aneres, gold eyes flashed and Aneres smirked revealing fangs. The Beast was in control, and planned to stay that way.

Charles knew then that something had gone _very_ wrong.

"Charles- do you want these people to die- just for one person?"

Magneto had his answer when Sabertooth let go of his neck, it was just in time for Mystique had arrived with their get away vehicle –a chopper.

The four filed in, and with a wave of her fingers Mystique took off.

* * *

Rogue awoke trapped- tied to a pipe although she was more worried about the gold eyes watching her from the darkness.

"Aneres…?" It was a ridiculous hope- as the eyes were too tall. Rogue jerked back when the eyes- and the creatures face got _closer_.

"Oh my gawd…" Rogue whispered as she stared at the creature.

A snout with no dip separating nose from mouth - joined its nose with its mouth. Barely noticeable short silver fur covered its otherwise human face. The gold eyes blinked at her, and a silver furred ear twitched.

"Yes, I am Aneres. You are Rogue." Watching it- no _Aneres_ , speak was like watching an animal open its mouth- and _English_ come out.

"Oh Gawd…What'd they do to you? Are you hurt?" Rogue asked, wondering how the adorable two tailed fox had turned into a, well, human-looking mutant.

Aneres seemed amused by this.

" _They_ did nothing. Xavier unlocked the Beasts cage, and I am _free_." Aneres told her, Rogue's eyes widened in horror.

"You're a _mutant_?" Aneres let out a laugh that sounded like a foxes yipping.

"I have always been a mutant, but not always remembered. Honestly sweetling, when was the last time a natural fox had two tails, _and_ knew that you needed a friend the most?" Aneres murmured, and the gold eyes which had held Rogue's own horrified yet fascinated ones, suddenly swerved to view a newcomer.

Aneres rose and Magneto smiled at her, patting her on the shoulder.

"Welcome back to us Kit." Aneres nodded and sniffed the air- she knew they were nearing land, meaning the Statue of Liberty (where Magneto had said they were going) was close.

Aneres paid no mind to Magneto as he whispered to Rogue, instead she went to Mystique. The boat guard was dead, yet Mystique seemed disturbed at her appearance.

"You should go back and help Magneto with the girl." Mystique suggested Aneres narrowed gold eyes.

"I remember _you_ left me with _him_." Mystique tensed and looked to Aneres who wasn't pleased in the least.

"What was I to do Aneres- take you from him? He is Wolverine- alone I stood no chance, you didn't remember me, and he didn't seem inclined to let me take you." Mystique answered softly, Aneres snorted.

"Don't think I'm dumb Mystique, your no good at making excuses. You wanted us to either kill each other- or for him to kill me. That would have made you Magneto's favorite and get rid of me, wouldn't it?" Aneres growled.

Mystique swallowed, and Aneres smirked. She knew she had hit the nail on the head.

"Watch yourself Blue, I don't intend to die today." Aneres purred and left. Mystique flinched when the door slammed closed.

That reminded Aneres of another score she had to settle…with Sabertooth.

Sabertooth was anything if not predictable, and as usual the cat-like mutant was on the roof.

"Sabertooth…" Aneres hissed Sabertooth turned to her poised to attack.

"Going to kill me Sabertooth?" Aneres questioned with a sneer. Sabertooth slowly shook his head but didn't bother to move from his position.

"Good, firstly if you _ever_ let those _humans_ get their hands on me again- I'll tell them where to find _you_. You know Magneto will make you fight them as he and Mystique- perhaps even the others escape." Sabertooth growled, disliking the fox-mutants tone.

" _Secondly_ , trying to save me while I'm in the Small One's mindset- and trapped in a burning vehicle, isn't saving me, and even if the target was Rogue- you get distracted by _him_ too often. _Understood_?" Aneres growled, Sabertooth snorted and nodded his agreement.

"Sabertooth hook her up to the machine." Magneto ordered. Aneres frowned, and looked down at Magneto.

"Don't worry Kit, she'll be fine." Magneto reassured Aneres who nodded unsurely. Sabertooth made sure he kept Rogue's mouth closed even as she tried to tell Aneres the truth. Sabertooth sneered at Rogue.

"Nice try, she won't save you as long as she doesn't know you'll die." Sabertooth told Rogue as Aneres went back to start the attack with Toad- Sabertooth would join them as soon as he cuffed the sobbing Rogue to the machine.

The attack on Liberty Island a success, Magneto used his powers to take the real torch down and put the machine- with Rogue, gagged, in it covered by a false torch onto the Lady Liberty's hand.

Magneto noticed the water moving and the fog rolling in, and knew the X-Men had come after Rogue- despite Mystique putting the fluid into Charles's machine.

"We aren't alone. Mystique, Toad, and Aneres-take care of them. Sabertooth guard me." They nodded and the three went down stairs to plan their attack.

"Kit take care of Cyclops, Toad- Storm and Jean, I'll take care of Wolverine." Mystique ordered as they went to the lobby and she turned into a statue- the others hid as the X-Men entered- and Wolverine set off the metal detector.

Aneres had no time to watch her companions, as she fought Cyclopes, dodging his blast still he hit her and knocked her dazed into the wall. When she came too she saw Wolverine stab Storm- no Mystique, and furious she lunged at him- intending to knock him out.

He was her friend- had nursed her back from the brink of death, and she refused to kill him.

"Aneres! Stop we've got to save Rogue!" Wolverine yelled as they rolled on the floor- and Aneres paused and Wolverine grabbed her wrists and held on even as she jerked and struggled under him.

"Listen! That mutant-making machine will _kill_ _Rogue_!" Aneres panted, blinking up as Wolverine stared down at her intently. Wolverine blushed, realizing she wasn't dressed, and certain parts of her were pressing against the suit…

 _Damn suit_ …Wolverine cursed mentally. Aneres frowned and decided he was telling her the truth; he had never lied to anyone that she'd heard. She felt instantly hurt- and betrayed that Magneto had taken advantage of her loyalty.

"He didn't tell me that…" Aneres only murmured. Wolverine got off of her; he saw the acceptance in her eyes.

Wolverine reached down a hand to help her up, she accepted and they went to find the others. The others- others Aneres didn't know, but Wolverine trusted.

Wolverine opened a door and there they were. Aneres tensed, and Cyclopes had reached for his visor and as he was looking at them- it was pointed at them.

"Wow! It's me!" Wolverine yelled his hands slightly up for defense.

"Prove it." Cyclopes said. Wolverine glanced at Aneres and smirked.

"You're a dick." Wolverine said simply, Cyclops snorted a tiny amused grin on his lips.

It was then their attention focused on Aneres, and Cyclops good humor seemed to disappear.

"What is _she_ doing here?" Jean demanded, remembering her 'betrayal' all too clearly.

"She didn't know Rogue would die." Wolverine said simply. Aneres hesitantly nodded.

"Whatever." Cyclops said clearly displeased.

"So where is she?" Storm asked Aneres, Aneres nodded to the stairs.

"In the Torch." Aneres said softly, the five headed to the staircase, but Aneres grabbed Woverine's hand stopping them.

"I've a better idea- they, Sabertooth and Magneto, don't know I've, well, ah…" Aneres started unsurely.

"Joined the 'good guys'?" Wolverine suggested Aneres nodded gratefully.

"My point is- use me as a hostage." The four glanced at each other and despite Wolverine's clear disapproval Cyclops nodded his agreement.

* * *

So it was that they climbed the stairs carefully- Aneres in the middle, floating by Jean's mind. Jean and Storm beside her, and Wolverine (claws extended) and Cyclopes (a hand on his visor) behind her.

When they reached the deck, Wolverine stopped- and the others somewhat confused followed his lead.

"What is it?" Cyclopes questioned.

"Get out, I can't move." Wolverine grunted out, then before there was time to react Wolverine was flung against the wall and metal seemed to come alive- pulling them to the walls- and Cyclopes visor was in Sabertooth's grasp.

All but Aneres, who in her surprise Jean dropped, Magneto and Sabertooth appeared, and Aneres rose- not allowing them to see her eyes. They thought she was ashamed of herself, but in truth it was the only way for her to hide her fury.

"Don't take it too hard my dear Kit, Sabertooth help her watch them." Magneto ordered- flicking his fingers and making Wolverine's arms cross his chest, his claws pointed into himself. Then leaving them to give Rogue his powers, Sabertooth focused on Storm- turning his back to Aneres who smirked.

"Aneres?" Woverine muttered so softly only Aneres could hear him. Aneres paid him no mind- she knew what she had to do.

Oh she _knew_ Sabertooth could kill her- but she wouldn't abandon Wolverine. She wasn't strong enough to remove the bars- but she _could_ fight with Sabertooth and get Cyclops his visor. Jean could then get it to him.

Aneres looked up and growled at Sabertooth, who turned to frown at her.

"Aneres?" Sabertooth asked confused.

Not giving him time to react Aneres leaped at him, again her momentum sent her opponent down. Sabertooth seemed to get the hint that she meant business and they rolled so he was atop and he frowned down at her.

"What's _wrong_ with you?" Sabertooth hissed, and Aneres narrowed her eyes.

" _You_ want to kill _her_!" Aneres yowled, and scratched at his side- cutting through his clothes and unknown to Sabertooth letting the visor free.

" _Traitor_." Sabertooth growled before the fight began in earnest. The ' _fight'_ was mostly one side, and Sabertooth was the one who was flinging her about- all Aneres could do was ride the beating out.

"Aneres!" Wolverine howled when Sabertooth picked her down and slammed her into the floor. Aneres let out a small grunt and Sabertooth hit her in the side.

Wolverine growled and let his claws out; they dug _into_ him to release him from the wall.

"Wolverine!" Jean yelled as he fell.

It served to distract Sabertooth from finishing the job and killing Aneres. Sabertooth went over to him and Woverine, even though the wounds _should_ have been lethal, he sprung up to fight Sabertooth.

As the two fought Aneres grunted and as she was face- down, rolled over.

"Are you alright?" Storm asked, Aneres winced and wondered if she was blind.

"Visor…" Aneres whispered, wondering how they could have missed it- then again maybe they had been watching the fight.

Jean lifted the visor from the floor and tilted them _just right_ , then just as Sabertooth came back, Jean ordered Cyclops to open his eyes.

It was the last thing Aneres remembered of the Liberty Island incident, other the impression of being lifted and flying in an aircraft.

* * *

Aneres woke before Wolverine in the med-bay; she woke to Rogue's humming. Aneres blinked up at her wondering if it was a dream.

"Aneres?" Rogue asked, after seeing Aneres open her eyes. Aneres nodded and learned what being squeezed to death felt like.

Or hugged to death…Aneres must have made an uncomfortable sound because Rogue let her go.

"Scott and Storm told everyone what you did; thank you…" Rogue said, Aneres nodded, and suddenly noticed it hurt _everywhere_. Aneres groaned, and Rogue winced in sympathy.

It was clear to Aneres that she was getting both her own and Wolverine's thanks- as it was unlikely Wolverine would want to hug Rogue- he was the gruff type, and didn't like hugs when he wasn't the one to initiate them.

Or didn't feel as if he earned them...

He probably felt that the whole nightmare was his fault and so was Rogue being captured- even if it wasn't.

So Aneres accepted Rogue's thanks without comment.

"Feel up to coming upstairs and saying 'hi' to some of the students?" Rogue asked her, Aneres nodded slowly- she was in pain, but she knew she could at least make Rogue feel better.

So stuffing down her pain Aneres sat up, and realized she was sort-of dressed in a hospital-like gown that went to her knees. Her hair was a sharp contrast to the blue gown.

"Sure thing sweetie…" Aneres murmured, standing.

It occurred to her the gown was the most she'd worn since meeting Wolverine and Rogue.

Granted more then half the time she'd been in the Small One's form, still the Other was embarrassed- and some of that embarrassment flushed her cheeks.

Rogue must have sensed this for she gestured to a metal table Aneres hadn't really paid attention to.

"Storm, Jean, and I were the closest in height to you. We went shopping for clothes you might like as a sort of thank-you gift." Rogue told her, Aneres nodded and pulled the bag to her.

She took the things out and was pleased and surprised- most of the things were dark colors. Which Aneres knew would draw attention to the _clothes_ and _not_ her furred skin.

The Other might have cared that there were other people in the room- but the Beast couldn't care less- nor did it care for clothing.

But it did know it would stand out if it didn't ware the clothes- and as a predator it understood clothes were needed them to blend in.

So without further mental compliant Aneres put on the clothing.

A black sports bra- boots that went halfway up to her knee- dark blue jeans (with a convenient tail-hole for her) that flared at the end, and a dark brown leather duster that went to her knees- so she buttoned it to her waist- giving the impression of a shirt.

Aneres also noted the ties and other garments- but for now she was satisfied. Her ears twitched and she turned back to Rogue, who looked like she didn't know what to think, Aneres snorted which brought Rogue out of her daze.

Aneres also got out a hat- for her ears. Her tails she hid well enough with the duster- as her tails didn't go past her knees.

Rogue shrugged and with one last glance at Wolverine she led Aneres upstairs.

Aneres's appearance, even if it was normal, save for her snout- and too pale silver furred skin served to detour _most_ of the students. Save for a boy who seemed to have feeling for Rogue.

Storm and Scott were watching the news on TV, probably to see how the public would react to a missing/killed senator, only to find he wasn't missing- at least to the public.

Aneres thought they should have expected something like this. It was _exactly_ something Mystique would do.

For now Aneres paid it no mind- and didn't tell the two who was masquerading as the senator. She found it amusing that Rogue was almost too shy to join a boy in a game.

Once Aneres added her encouragement Rogue had practically no choice but to join in the game. _Have you decided what you're going to do?_ Professor Charles Xavier's mental voice suddenly echoed in her mind.

Indeed she had- she was going with Wolverine. Rouge didn't need them at the moment- she needed education, and she (as the boy who liked her proved) had friends and people to talk to.

Aneres was too old to finish school, and with her appearance (and odd appendages) she wasn't going to get the kind of job one needed for a diploma.

Aneres flared her nose to scent the air- Wolverine was coming, or rather _going_.

Without a word Aneres slipped away- but apparently Rogue had seen her leave and as the sound of footsteps proved Rogue was following her. Aneres hoped this good-bye wouldn't be hard for them.

"Logan, Aneres, wait!" Rogue called, Aneres was only a few steps away from Logan when they both stopped.

"Where are you going?" Rogue asked, Aneres and Wolverine glanced at each other.

"Got some business up north." Logan muttered looking embarrassed for trying to get out of saying good-bye, Aneres shrugged.

"Going with him. Someone needs to watch out for him." Rogue nodded at her answer- in that Rogue agreed, though she probably wished she'd be the one to keep an eye out for Logan.

"Running away?" Rogue asked him quietly. Wolverine sighed and fingered his dog tags- then a light entered his eyes and Aneres knew he'd gotten an idea.

"Nah, here take may tags- I'll be back for them." Wolverine told her after pulling off the tags- Rogue nodded shakily and Wolverine hesitantly hugged her, Aneres smiled slightly. They parted and Wolverine turned and walked away. Aneres waved her fingers at Rogue and the two headed out of the school.

"So why are you really coming with me?" Wolverine asked when they were walking- pretty much alone.

"I don't teach- and I'm not young enough to be a student- and they are uncomfortable with me. Rogue will be safe. Besides I have a debt to repay." Aneres answered in a tone that suggested this wasn't a big deal.

"We're even." Wolverine answered. Aneres smirked.

"I'm not talking about you- I owe _Rogue_ , I let her be hurt." Aneres explained, Wolverine grunted. They came to the gate- and Cyclopes bike. They glanced between each other and shared equally devious grins.

Wolverine started the bike, and Aneres held on to him as they disappeared down the road. Logan to find a past he didn't remember - and Aneres to pay Rogue a debt the girl didn't know she was owed.

* * *

Logan thought of Aneres, who rode behind him, not as a fox…but as some _thing_ else…

He had committed to memory the tape the X-Man had shown him when he'd woken up…The world had watched it, the train-station monster; the newspapers had called her…

_Slowly the silver furred fox with two tails grew till it was the height of Sabertooth's chest._

_Aneres's hair- silver as her fur had been fell to her knees, making a kind of mane around her face and chest. Her skin was pale- and a silver shine of short fur covered her._

_Her nails were small black claws; her eyes as gold as the foxes had been were luminous in the night. Her nose and mouth were drawn together to form a small snout- but was most startling were that the fox ears and two tails, though larger were still present._

_It was a very good thing that her hair was so long- she obviously didn't have any clothes on._

Logan had truthfully been a bit… _unnerved_ when Cyclopes had shown him the footage at the train station, the result of the Professor messing with _his_ fox's mind.

The _only_ thing that was the same, between 'the Beast' and the 'Small One', as Aneres called them, was the eyes. The same warm golden eyes, with black slit pupils.

For every one of the artic foxes characteristics had been, _morphed_ , to suit the half human-half fox form 'Beast'. Before that change; none of them, not even Logan, had thought the artic fox particularly 'mutant'. Aneres had shown _intelligence_ , but not so much to warrant the level of 'human'.

Yet she _was_ , or had been. She was, as Logan was finding out, a hard person to figure out. She had woken up and (not as healed as he would have liked) decided to go with him rather then stay with Rogue.

He hadn't noticed her pain right away- or even smelled blood over the motorcycles fumes, or heard any signs of 'pain' over the roar of engines. In fact, it was _after_ a whole day of riding, that she started winching at the sharper turns he took. He remembered the beating Sabertooth put her through all too well.

_Aneres looked up and growled at Sabertooth, who turned to frown at her._

_"Aneres?" Sabertooth asked confused._

_Not giving him time to react Aneres leaped at him, again her momentum sent her opponent down. Sabertooth seemed to get the hint that she meant business and they rolled so he was atop and he frowned down at her._

_"What's_ wrong _with you?" Sabertooth hissed, and Aneres narrowed her eyes._

 _"_ You _want to kill_ her _!" Aneres yowled, and scratched at his side- cutting through his clothes and unknown to Sabertooth letting the visor free._

 _"_ Traitor _." Sabertooth growled before the fight began in earnest. The '_ fight' _was mostly one side, and Sabertooth was the one who was flinging her about- all Aneres could do was ride the beating out._

_"Aneres!" Wolverine howled when Sabertooth picked her down and slammed her into the floor. Aneres let out a small grunt and Sabertooth hit her in the side._

_Wolverine growled and let his claws out; they dug_ into _him to release him from the wall._

_"Wolverine!" Jean yelled as he fell._

_It served to distract Sabertooth from finishing the job and killing Aneres._

He'd pulled over, a few miles away from any sort of civilization; she seemed genuinely puzzled by this. Half-lidded golden eyes watched him as he got off, and motioned for her to follow his example.

She did so, almost reluctantly. For the first time since setting out, he took notice of what Rogue, and the other girls, had given her to ware.

A hat covered her fox-ears, but nothing could hide the knee-length silver hair (braided), that framed her inhuman face. Under the fringe of her bangs, the warm slighted golden eyes watched him, weary and pained. Her nose and mouth curved canine-like, to a snout. Short, translucent, silver-fur covered every inch of visible skin, giving it a glow.

The black sports bra was all the top she'd allowed. A dark-brown leather duster that went to her knees, tied and buttoned at the waist, dwarfed her, swallowing up the silver-braided hair, and hiding the two silver tails. Dark blue jeans that must have tail-holes flared at the ends of her half-thigh black boots.

"Let's see your back." He demanded when he saw most of her front was obviously …unharmed.

Aneres turned, and after untying and unbuttoning it, shrugged out of the duster. Reaching behind her, she pulled her braid out of his view. Her back made _him_ winch, it was a mass of bruises and half-healed wounds.

He was surprised she wasn't injured more, but he decided, after glimpsing the _healed_ bullet wound she had had as a fox kit, she healed fast. Not as fast as he did, but faster then a normal human.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He demanded angrily, this would slow them down, and why didn't she trust him enough to let him _know_ she was so obviously injured? She trusted him enough to let him see them now, he reassured himself.

"It wasn't important." She answered simply, turning around to face him.

"Well why didn't you at least ask for bandages, or medicines?" He asked as they certainly didn't have anything of the sort, and those cost money, which they didn't have.

"Cloth irritates them, and I won't be drugged." Aneres answered, looking at him as if he was _supposed_ to know this; and she suspected he had damaged his head. He sighed, giving up, and decided to make camp for the night.

"Are you hungry?" He asked, gentling his tone, she shook her head, and as he wasn't either, decided not to bother with the food. Instead as Aneres watched, and 'guarded' camp, he gathered wood.

A while later he lit a fire, and was glad neither of them needed tents or sleeping bags as 'essentials', and for now at least, he could hunt and live off the land. He fell asleep, aware that Aneres would watch out for him while he slept for the night.

It was a comfortable… and yet an unfamiliar feeling, this companionship of theirs. Perhaps it was just that he was used to her as a fox, without a human intellect, and was now becoming used to her, as she was now, with her animal instincts and reasoning, and yet almost-human appearance.

* * *

When he awoke, it was to his foxes golden eyes. For a moment he thought everything had been a dream, or had never occurred, and he had never met Rogue. Then the golden eyes blinked, and the too-human face attached looked away, it all seemed to crash back.

 _Did she sleep at all?_ He wondered as he sat up, glancing at the fire, which was still going strong. She certainly didn't look as if she had changed position during the night, save to pull her duster around her, so only her face peered out at him. She looked… almost, dare he even think _it_?

 _Cute_ … Logan snorted, and stood, stretching, going a few feet off to do his business. When he returned, Aneres had put the fire out, she handed him some beef jerky he had packed for the trip.

"I smelt it." Aneres explained, tying her duster on. Logan shrugged it off, and checked on his (or rather Cyclopes) bike. They had gone farther then he had thought- he gas would last another few miles, by then he hoped to find a gas station.

"Let's go." He said, and then the two settled onto the bike. Logan liked the bike because, while part of his mind was always wide awake to deal with anything. It allowed his mind to wonder…

High on the list, apparently, was his traveling companion. He was certain he could trust her…somehow; it didn't matter to his survival instincts if she was 'friend' or 'foe', she was dependable. It was rare, and apparently he _subconsciously_ valued her, more so then his life.

That had been especially true when she had attacked him on Liberty Island, he had been on an adrenalin rush, and ready to kill what came at him next...when she had tackled him, something in him had screamed for him to _stop_. To reason with her, _before_ he tried to kill her…The opposite of what his gut usually told him to do.

So he'd went with it, he had yelled (as they had struggled to gain the upper hand against one another) that Rogue was going to _die-_ if Aneres didn't help them. To his surprise she'd _listened_. It was a blurred rush after that, thinking Sabertooth was going to kill her- and Metal-Head would kill Rogue.

Then he would be alone… again…

Logan knew that if both of them had died, he wouldn't have stood by the X-Men, like he planned to do now. There would have been far too many bad memories associated with them.

So had pretty much went berserk and won that battle, he wasn't naive enough to think he'd won the war. Nor did he think he could run from it, or not pick a side.

Not when Rogue was on one side, he felt obligated to protect that side, and thus her. Aneres seemed to agree with his instinct completely.

It was amazing to him, how much these two meant to him- and that he had grown to not only like them, but would do anything to protect them- and all this they had made him feel in the short amount of time he had known them.

There was a problem though.

Aneres, for all intents and purposes, had very nearly killed herself to keep Rogue safe. She had gone against _everything_ she'd known, just to keep one little girl safe.

Logan would like to think she'd done it for Rogue, and maybe that was a part of it, but a very big part of him insisted _he'd_ played a major part in her actions.

It wasn't just his ego either…Aneres was genuinely self-sacrificing in his eyes.

While it was flattering…it also frightened him. Aneres had proved she was willing to die for Rogue and him, without thinking about her own safety. She'd proved this when she went against Sabertooth.

Wolverine wondered if Professor Xavier, had ever felt this humbled, and awed, by another's unselfish actions. In all Logan's fifteen years of memories, he'd met plenty of people some who'd taken pity on him-for a price, others who couldn't care less.

He had begun to think _everyone_ was like that- even Rogue had wanted something from him in the beginning. Aneres somehow defied that concept of selfishness, replacing it with utter loyalty, and included in that loyalty- _willingness_ to off her self, and for someone she'd _barely_ known a month!

Maybe it had been a part of Magneto's training; maybe it was the foxes trust, and loyalty for them. Because it remembered that Logan had nursed it back to heath- maybe a combination of both.

Whatever it was, Logan wasn't entirely sure he wanted _it_ directed at _him_.

He had been tempted to tell Aneres to stay with Rogue, _order_ it if he had to. Then Aneres had told him she had her own reasons. A debt, he wondered why she felt obligated to pay it while going with him.

None the less it was her own business, and Logan wasn't going to pry into that. No, he was _much_ more interested in how Aneres met Magneto. Now all that he had to do was find a way to bring the subject up…

**\- Aneres's POV -**

As we flew along the road I was grateful he _couldn't_ ask questions over the roar of an engine- nor had any telepathic ability. I knew he had a lot of questions; it was only natural for him to. Last night had given him a chance to think them up…

Only natural for _anyone_ to have questions, even I have questions about myself that I'd love to have answered. Truth is, I only have those flashbacks I got from Small One.

The Other, the humanity in me, hid itself for so long in animal habits it _forgot_ itself. Even created different _personalities_ within its forms, but both forms have some humanness in them, of which I am grateful.

The Small One, if completely animal, would _never_ have let Wolverine help us. _Would_ have eaten the meat offered. An animal would never have acted so 'attached' and 'pet like' - even if Logan had helped it. It would never have followed Rogue when she left for Logan's sake.

Those are human characteristics. Or at least 'proof' that the Other affected Small One.

As for me, a human, yet very animalistic based loyalty, to Logan and Rogue. Yet I couldn't care less about the X-Men, or even Magneto now, if those two weren't somehow involved.

There is a human intelligence- ability to think, read, write and even some morals. Even then when my humanity took a while to kick in, but it did all the same.

Like with my slight, but ignored, embarrassment of clothing, or lack there of.

I see no reason to hide my body- but I do, when it will get my humans and I noticed. We are already mutants, I know of human hatred of us- it is hard not to _smell_ it, if not _see_ it with my own two eyes.

Still, there remains the problem of my snout; it will be the first thing they notice. Yet Logan travels by quick to keep me out of sight, and as much as I appreciate it, my very bones ache from the beating I took.

I am a fast healer by _human_ standards, but compared to Sabertooth and Wolverine I might as well _be_ _human_.

In any case, I have an idea, just like my duster hides my tails, and my hat hides my ears. I will ask Wolverine for a biker helmet; that will hide my 'unnatural' snout.

So any odd characteristics will be hid, save for my pale and short silver fur, but that can't be helped. The fur isn't noticeable, unless you are close to me, and I will not let any save _my_ humans that close.

Besides, pale skin can be explained by a lack of light. Or so my human intelligence reassures me.

I have a feeling that my body has another form, unknown, just like this one was unknown before the professor forced it out. I also sense that I will find answers at Alkali Lake…

I hope Logan will too.

Logan knew he'd be dreaming if he thought Aneres and he could get to Alkali Lake, on a motorcycle, with only a _gallon_ of gas. So he _would_ stop at one, even if he had to go through _hell-fires_ to get to one.

His thoughts strayed to Rogue, and why he had left. Mostly to find out about his past…There was also the fact of Rogue's schooling- and how well she would do if they were their, compared to how well she would do if they weren't. So, he knew, Aneres and he would have to stay away till the year was _mostly_ done.

But he knew _about_ kids too, they procrastinated, and Rogue wouldn't do well in school if Aneres and he were nearby. That and _they_ would be bored stiff. Logan was _sure_ they'd love to get in him a suit.

Aneres was a different matter.

The X-Men knew she had worked for the enemy, but rather then take advantage of that and learn their tactics from her. They'd make decisions based on her animalistic appearance, and assume she was too stupid to know their tactics, or not trust her because she'd switched sides.

That was if she had _stayed_ , but Aneres had chosen to follow him, even if he hadn't exactly _wanted_ her too.

At least that was Logan's reasoning, besides, he didn't want to hang around a school. Something about it made him feel trapped, no matter how big that school was, it was still a school.

Logan glanced at the gas gauge; it was getting low so he looked around- nothing as far as he could see. He sniffed the air, but over the scent of gas from the motorcycle, and the rushing wind, he couldn't smell much of anything.

Logan then had a thought; Aneres had fox-appendages, perhaps her senses were enhanced. It was worth a shot in any case, Logan slowed to a stop, and got off.

Aneres stared at him, confused. Logan tapped the side of his helmet, and then took it off. Aneres followed his example removing her hat, silver furred fox ears swiveled around- subconsciously taking in every noise nearby.

Logan had stopped in an empty, as far as the eye could see, stretch of road, which was the _only_ thing that led Aneres to take the hat off.

"Aner' can you smell any gas…a few miles off maybe?" Logan asked, Aneres blinked gold eyes at him, but nodded, breathing in deeply so her ample chest rose and fell. He tried not to notice.

"Yes, not far. I smell others- a town, hotel?" Aneres asked tilting her head, loose silver strands framing her neck.

"Yeah we'll stop for the night." Logan answered, not in any hurry to get back on his motorcycle…

Aneres didn't seem to mind stopping either, she yawned bringing attention to her elongated teeth. Logan didn't let it bother him; she'd yet to show an interest in hunting that is, hunting, _without_ guns.

Or any kind of hunting, even as a fox she'd only eaten tofu. It was times like these where he let himself worry about what non-mutants would do to her, if she _hadn't_ gone in disguise.

They already knew of her really, at the train station she had been on the news as she changed from the silver artic fox, he had found her as, into what she was now for the first time- thanks to Charles's meddling.

He didn't want to even _think_ of how many people knew what she looked like. It was the reason he had let her come with him.

Whatever she looked like now, fox or this, she'd attract attention. He only knew one way to counteract that- run, run as far and fast as they could. They'd never outrun the news- but there were places still isolated enough that TV was unusual. That people _never_ expected the news to show up at their door, and if it did they'd ignore it- or make up a reason why it _couldn't_ be what they'd seen on TV. These were the places Logan intended to run too.

Not just to Alkali Lake, they'd go wherever; so the news would have a chance of calming down, of switching to the next big thing.

Till then, all Logan had to do was keep Aneres out of the lime light- out of the publics sight, and above all away from mutant-haters. The X-Men might think this was easy, if they had stayed near the school- but Logan knew otherwise.

He knew that the students might talk when they went to town, even if they weren't supposed to. Or someone who wasn't supposed to, might hear them talking to each other.

All it would take was too many questions, and they'd be inspected, and while Aneres could hide in the basement of the school. There was no guarantee they'd come announced.

All in all, Logan thought it best to go, even if Aneres hadn't been with him- but she was now. Despite Logan's gruff, 'uncaring' attitude, fact was he _did_ care, at least about Aneres and Rogue.

The rest of the world could go into the fires of hell.

Aneres didn't question him. Rogue questioned _everything_ – from his _feelings_ , to the way he had kept Aneres (as a _fox_ , when he hadn't known she was ' _human'_ ) in his camper when he'd gone out cage fighting. An unspoken bond was between the three- and Logan had no intentions of ruining that.

Rogue was the little girl, the innocent. The one both Aneres and he wanted to protect. Aneres was simply freedom; she had few inhabitations, and cared only about what Rogue and he thought. As for Logan, well he thought he was the one who brought them altogether, but he was also their protector.

In any case they were _his_ girls, and so long as they were safe; Rogue at the school finishing up her education in a school for mutants, or Aneres with him, when she could have stayed, been useless, and not trusted.

They probably wouldn't have even trusted Aneres to stay with Rogue in her room. Or for any length of time, that matter without supervision; even if both of them had _insisted_ on staying together.

Frankly, Logan was glad Aneres was with him- and Rogue wasn't. Not that he didn't _trust_ Rogue, it was just…he'd worry himself into fits. For her safety, heath, and even if she could get along with others _after_ their trips and adventures.

With Aneres, he knew she didn't care for 'others' –unless it was Rogue. That she'd take care of herself, could find food and shelter, if something happened to him on this trip.

Even if there was the lingering fear that Aneres might do something stupid, like kill herself for him if he was in a fight. He knew, she knew he could heal faster then her- faster then anyone, from near to normally lethal wounds too.

It didn't matter to her- she could heal too, and given time he didn't doubt she'd be about to heal from death wounds. He couldn't help wondering how long as a fox she'd laid on the road- bloody form a gunshot wound. The bullet _should_ have been inside her- but it wasn't. That took her _weeks_ to heal from instead of _years_.

All that he hadn't thought about at the time, but it had started to shove its way to the front of his thoughts when he saw his fox change into a mutant. And again, when he'd watched her get beat up by Sabertooth -to give them Cyclopes visor.

So he wasn't too worried for her physical heath, as far as survival and getting food were concerned. Her psychological heath was another matter entirely.

" Logan?" Aneres interrupted his thoughts, and Logan turned to her with a raised eyebrow. "I smell others." The fox-like woman told promptly him as she put on her hat. Logan didn't doubt her, and nodded, silently getting back on his motorcycle; it was time for them to find that town Aneres said she'd smelt. Maybe they'd outrun those 'others' Aneres had smelled.

Aneres's nose was right, and they reached the town _just_ before the bike ran out of gas. It was nearing night, so after he'd filled the bike up, he asked the gas store manager where to find a hotel- after getting the directions they found it…and a gang of six bikers.

Logan growled softly, Aneres had stiffened, they watched them in silence.

"I'll go see if we can get a room." Logan told her softly, Aneres didn't show any signs of hearing him- though he knew she must have.

Logan couldn't get a room, and as he prepared to leave, he felt the hotel manager was stalling, so becoming annoyed he left in a rush. He saw Aneres, her duster covering her face, and her arms rapped around herself; cornered by the gang.

He was about to go over and 'remove them' when Aneres caught sight of him, and two of the bikers turned- to where she was looking. Aneres didn't look upset, or very harassed, (though it was hard to tell with the duster covering her face) so swallowing his pride he strode over to her side.

"Lass says this is your bike." One of them said, he had graying hair, and had brown eyes. Logan nodded, silently checking Aneres for injures, and then the bike, Cyclopes would kill him if it got scratched.

"Yeah, what's it to you?" Logan asked, eyes narrowed with suspicion as he saw one of them move to reach for something out of sight.

"It's a nice bike." The other man- younger with blue eyes, brown still in his hair- that was braided down his back. Logan shrugged, even _he_ knew that.

"It's such a nice bike that….we've decided we want it." The blue eyed biker said. It was then Logan noticed their guns, and he cursed Scott Summers to hell and back. Then before the men had time to react, Logan had gotten on the bike, and had pushed through the six; he revved the bikes engine and took off.

Not before he heard a gunshot and a whimper from behind- then he knew if he ever saw those men again he'd _kill_ them. Because Aneres was shot, and he was _helpless_ as she wheezed for breath- blood soaking into his jacket.

Logan looked disparately for a hiding place for the night. "Hang on Aner…" Logan told her as he drove into an open shed, got off the bike, and dragged Aneres off the bike.

He saw her lips and teeth were bloodied, as she clenched her teeth and snarled at the pain. She was winching as he opened her duster, and saw that the bullet was still inside- no exit wound. He didn't know where the entry wound was either…

She was pale- paler then normal, and her breath wheezed in and out; golden eyed were glazed but still focused on him.

"What do I do?" Logan didn't know he'd spoken out loud- but Aneres heard his hopelessness, and summoned all her strength to turn over. The gash was on her shoulder, and Logan used her duster, and his shirt, to futilely try to wipe the blood away.

"Aner, don't you _dare_ die on me…" Logan choked out. Aneres snorted, and brought her fingers to touch his cheek- and smiled. "Tell Rogue- debt for not protecting her, is paid?" Aneres sought, Logan shook his head.

"Don't you _dare_ \- you tell her _yourself_!" Logan argued, Aneres shivered and her hand fell back as gravity took over, and Logan watched in horror as her eyes closed.

Logan sat back _listening_ , but only stillness, and silence, came from the body before him. Logan closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply, letting the scent of blood and death wash over him.

He would stay here till he was sure- there was still hope, though Logan tried not to let it bury itself too deep inside him. He'd wait till the body was truly dead- with stiffness and everything, before he buried her.

He wouldn't- no couldn't bury her _here,_ in the middle of no-where.

What would he tell Rogue?

Logan opened his eyes and watched in mixed awe, and horror, as Aneres's form melted back into the fox she'd once been. He listened as her heartbeat, though faint, started- saw that the bullet was shoved out of the wound.

A tiny artic fox whined, and opened its golden eyes- seemingly back from the dead. What would he tell Rogue indeed….

Logan breathed out; relieved he hadn't lost his friend, and gathered the bloody fox in his arms. He'd stay here for the night, and then when morning came he'd gather their things, pack them up, and set off again.

Logan still intended to go to Alkali Lake, but he didn't intend to go back to the X-Men till Aneres could change back into what she had been. Logan hoped that wouldn't take long, he didn't think Charles could dig her out of her mind again…

* * *

Logan found himself torn between amusement and annoyance. Amusement because, well, the _only_ (that he could see) way to ride with the fox, and insure that she wouldn't fall off the motorcycle, was to ride with the kit tucked into his leather jacket.

Aneres was currently enjoying the wind in her fur, ears, and nose- her eyes were wide, and Logan could feel her tails twitching enthusiastically against his chest. Annoyance, because said fur and tails were _ticklish_.

How did Logan know this? The fox's ears were either ticking his nose- making him want to sneeze, or his neck, no need for explanation for _that_. If you added this to the fact that he was _driving_ said motorcycle; laughter –or sneezing for that matter, might cause him to crash.

He wasn't worried about his safety- as he could survive his claws going though him he was pretty sure he could survive a crash. Aneres while it was a very near thing- had survived being shot twice- once before he had found her, and that evening.

Logan wasn't looking to press his luck so far.

After all the third time was the charm- right? Well for Aneres it'd be death- but probably a 'charm' for her killer. Logan gripped the bars- it'd been a very near thing. He wasn't entirely sure she was _sane_ ; so far she hadn't shown any signs of human-like intelligence.

Still what she said before she'd changed bugged him.

_"Tell Rogue- debt for not protecting her, is paid?"_

It was pretty obvious she thought she owed Rogue for not protecting her against the Brotherhood- but how was protecting _him_ paying a debt to Rogue?

To Aneres- it _must_ make sense. Perhaps in an animalistic way, but Logan didn't know _how_ \- he wasn't 'primal' enough. He doubted he'd ever know- it would be like asking Sabertooth why he attacked Logan.

Pointless, and likely to get him hurt. There was one question Logan wanted answered more then any other though. _How_ was Aneres connected to the Brotherhood? Getting an answer from her in her current form would be like finding grandmothers _favorite_ needle in a bundle of _other_ needles. Nearly impossible, especially if you hadn't ever seen your grandmothers needle before.

In this case needle was code word for 'Aneres's past'. Not that it mattered- Aneres was quite unable to answer, Logan sighed. It seemed he wouldn't get any answers any time soon.

As the gang was after them, they'd have to take the back roads, and avoid highways and 'normal' people as much as possible.

Even the most dimwitted person who had seen that news piece of Aneres changing from fox to beast/human form (which was being repeated over and _over_ , and Logan doubted it would stop for _weeks_ yet) would be suspicious of an artic fox acting oddly- and traveling _willingly_ with him (or any human) _was_ suspicious.

Especially as Aneres wasn't restrained by a cage, or collar, or leash. All of these she wouldn't allow for long, as she had _barely_ tolerated being kept in his trailer for long periods of time without him there. Besides now that he knew she was intelligent in a human sense, doing that would just feel wrong and very…odd. And what if she remembered when she turned back?

He just hoped he didn't run into any animal control people, or animal rights groups. He was pretty sure artic foxes were endangered, and keeping one without the proper licensing would get him fined, or in jail.

Animal rights would simply think he had taken her from her mother at a young age and kept her as a pet without reporting it. All that would be very messy to explain and he doubted Aneres would take well to such a situation.

So using back roads, avoiding highways, and avoiding people also came into the picture when transporting mutants-in-fox-form across New York to Alkali Lake. Sometimes he thought she and Rogue were more trouble then they were worth.

As if sensing his thoughts Aneres whined and turned her head to lick his chin. Logan snorted and continued driving down the dirt road. _From now on_ , he decided, _only pit stops are to get gas- and there buy food…_

Logan knew he could survive that way- traveling day or night, with only gas stopping him and only minimal sleep required. Of course there would be bathroom brakes at the gas stations, and if Aneres got tired she could always sleep in his jacket while he drove.

As for himself well if he needed to sleep he'd find some bushes or trees- or both, and park the bike for the night. He was just as comfortable sleeping on the ground as sleeping indoors.

He doubted Aneres would mind, she hadn't liked being inside his trailer, and he didn't think she'd slept indoors- even in her beast form. With the plain firmly in mind Logan continued driving down the dirt road.

Aneres however was enjoying the sights- trees and earth, and odd smells of other animals. Normal rules didn't apply to her as she zoomed through territories on the dirt road.

Passing through those territories might have taken days otherwise- but Logan didn't care and nothing was stupid enough to stop him as he drove at the speed he was.

Aneres especially enjoyed the wind rushing at her, she caught many more scents then she would otherwise. Logan didn't seem to care about those, or perhaps he couldn't catch as many smells as she could at this speed. But Aneres didn't care; she was content to be with him.

In other words, Aneres was completely enjoying herself, after a few sleepless nights with Logan watching while she slept, she had gotten used to it and him again.

After a few weeks, her wound would ache, and then stretch, and itched, and then there was only a slight scar- just as there was for the other bullet wound.

They had stopped for the time being, the first time in nearly a week- a day more and Logan reckoned they'd be at Alkali Lake. Aneres seemed to be as recovered as she was going to get, at least as far as bullet wounds were concerned.

When he had tried to lift her out of his jacket today, she had nipped and fussed at him till he had let her go.

It was only while standing in front of an amused clerk, buying gas with the fox (the clerk thought she was a _dog_!) tucked into the jacket, that he realized he'd tried to get a grip on her at her injury.

Logan winched at the thought, and bought tofu- as a treat for her for not trying to kill him.

She eagerly ate the tofu- happy to be on the road again. His shirt might have tofu-residue on it, but it was a small price to pay for her to sleep. Or so Logan comforted himself.

Logan made sure his bag held warm cloths for her when (not if) she changed back. He was sure she would change back- she had too.

Warm clothes were necessary because they were traveling into a mountainous region, and it was near enough to winter to worry about the cold. Even for foxes.

Logan drove till the yellow lines blurred, and even knowing he was tired and hadn't eaten anything proper for a few days, he continued- even if he knew it was stupid.

He wasn't thinking clearly, and he felt that, but he pushed on determined to reach an inn for the night. It would be one of the first times they had stayed in a room since setting out.

Aneres growled softly, at _him_? Logan blinked, and realized he had led the bike to the edge of the road.

He straitened it out, blinking in a dazed fashion. He had no memory of letting the bike go so far from the yellow lines. Had he fallen asleep- if only for a few seconds? Hadn't someone said that was deadly somewhere? He couldn't remember.

His head tilted foreword, eyelids too heavy to life. In an almost out-of-body way he felt Aneres's fur standing on end.

Aneres turned worried eyes away from Logan- to the road ahead. She smelled something not-right, and with narrowed eyes she spotted two glaring headlights close enough to make her whine.

Her first instinct was to run- she had to wake Logan up. Torn between the desire to get to safety- and the need to protect him, even with the bike starting _toward_ the blazing lights, she tried to scratch at his chest.

It didn't work.

Aneres in the Small Ones form was useless- and she _knew_ it, even as the blazing lights of the huge truck loomed closer. _Somehow_ she had to change, on her own- and _quickly_. To change into something of the Other inside of her- that could save them.

Even if Small One did not know quite what it wanted- her body did. It hurt for an eternity- then nothing but panic.

The lights, this form knew what they were- and what it meant. In a few seconds more memories came unwished for.

**-Flash Back-**

_After being kidnapped by them at eighteen, Aneres had joined the Brotherhood. There was no where else for her to go after all._

_No one cared- Magneto had proven that by allowing her to see he news in her home state. Not a word- or mention, no one made a fuss of a girl dropping out a week before graduation, and running away without a word to anyone._

_She had failed- failed a mission Magneto had given her, only her._

_Now They were after her._

_She didn't know who They were, only that Magneto had wanted her to steal something from them. She hadn't gotten it. She'd set off the alarms, and now with headlights on her, They were cornering her._

_She panted for breath. Suddenly one of Their trucks swooped out of no-where. She was hit, and rolled with the impact; her head plowed into a rock and darkness was all she knew._

_When she awoke, she was the Small One, a small, golden-eyed, silver fox with two tails. They believed shifting was her only ability- and she let them believe it. She learned it was safer to be the Small One- They could do little to her as the Small One._

_She bid her time and knew escape was near. The Brotherhood would come for her- she knew they would, they had to._

_They came too late._

**-End-**

She was left shaking- and still in the danger that the truck with the blaring lights represented. She knew how to work this machine- or as much to steer, she shoved the bike into the gravel- and out of harms way. Although both passengers received their fair share of bumps and bruises as the bike skid to a stop on its side.

What the driver of the truck thought of a nude girl with golden eyes on a motorcycle- with a man asleep behind her, no one was ever to know. As the driver never slowed- or stopped to see if they were alive.

Logan had the impression of bright lights and a blaring horn. Then hard earth, and skin and blood scraped off against it. His body quickly fixed this, even as he was moved away from the place he had landed. Throughout this half- nightmare he couldn't bring himself to awaken, not even to save her…

" _Don't worry we are safe_."

 _Whose voice was that?_ Logan wondered before falling into a dreamless sleep.

O.o.O.o.O.o.O

After doing what Small One had 'summoned' her to do, the Other pulled the man off the bike, and started a fire; he muttered and she took pity on him murmuring a soft "Don't worry, we are safe." Her voice felt ill-used, and alien.

She silently moved back to the bike, taking 'her' things from the baggage, and putting them on. Finally settling back to sit by the fire, and the name, whose name her Small One and Beast were confused by 'Wolverine' and ' Logan'…

Names she thought she _knew_ …from _before_ …

_It was before the cage- before the Small One._

_The one the Small One called Other was the bits of humanity left from being in the Small One's form, locked away so deep from the mental anguish that the humanness in her body and mind had faded till there was only Aneres-the-fox._

_…and The Beast, which fought to put the humanity- the Other, itself, and the Small One together- meld them into one perfect being._

_But this was before all that._

_Before the Beast had ever been- before the Small One had ever been._

_This memory was all Other- all human. When she had been a normal girl, off to visit friends…_

_Aneres- her name as it had been then was the same as now, walked the streets of her small town unafraid. It was dusk, and dogs behind the neighbors fences yapped only a little at her passing._

_Aneres disliked dogs- but did not hate them as the Small One did. She thought nothing of the few blocks between her house and her friends. They had lived here since Aneres could remember._

_Aneres was quite sure she knew her town back and forth- and the people just as well. So it was that she paid very little attention to the dogs, and this perhaps could have prevented her capture._

_Aneres didn't know that she was the daughter of a mutant and shared her father's genes; she had after all been adopted at a very young age. So young that she didn't remember them, young enough to be called an infant._

_Aneres was luckily that she had been adopted as a baby- and she knew it._

_Though it was obvious she was adopted, she was Asian and her adopted parents were brown haired and brown eyed._

_Life, so far, had been good. Aneres wasn't a cheerleader- in band, or choir, or in any sports but she got good grades- had a few good friends and her teachers liked her._

_But all that was about to change, she was 18; she would never graduate within the week like everyone else was supposed too._

_"Hello pretty…" A voice- husky, dangerous, and meant to send a chill down your spine, reached Aneres's ears just as a hand enclosed over her mouth (before she could scream- or make any noise for that matter), and a arm went around her waist immobilizing her._

_"Be careful with her Sabertooth!" A female voice hissed - just as dangerous. The man, if it could be called a man- chuckled and nuzzled terror filled Aneres's neck._

_"Whatever you say Mystique…" Sabertooth answered. With that a girl was kidnapped from all she had ever known- and other then a frantic town search and a milk carton picture, nothing made national news. For there weren't any clues and many, even those among her small town, suspected she had run away._

_For Aneres no help ever came, and her captors used this against her._

**No, that was _wrong_** …Her head pounded, and she wanted to _scream_.

_They were young; she and this boy before her. He looked like a younger version of the man in the…present? His name was Logan, and he wanted to go to the unexplored far north._

_She dreamed of doing the same._

_"Why not come with me? It'll be fun…" She laughed, finally agreeing to the trip._

_"Fine, fine, but you have to carry Wilson if he gets tired." He nodded enthusiastically, and forgot what he was doing- cutting a pork-chop, and the knife slipped, and he cursed._

_They watched in morbid interest as the wound healed in seconds. When it was done he grimaced, a soft apology on his lips._

_He caught her looking at the reflective surface of the store-glass._ _Her mutations were smaller, no fox-ears or tails. Her black eyes were turning gold, and her silver fur was thicker- more noticeable, but both of her companions knew what she was. So she didn't fear to let it grow- especially in this cold._

_Logan_ _disliked that she'd conned Wilson into her going. Logan and she had been friends since he'd come to her families home and asked for shelter for the night._

_He hadn't been denied and he looked about her age, so they'd talked. They had gotten along well enough. Her family planned to marry them, but that was a long way off yet._

_He bowed his head, letting the matter fall into silence._

_They lived someplace remote, and though she was beginning to change, like he had. But his change was invisible…hers was not she was changing into fox-shape, something her people revered, it was still a change._

_She was not ashamed…_

There was too much, too much of everything. Too many memories that didn't match, too many feelings, it was all _too much_. She did the only thing she could- she _.._ she raised her head up and cried out, holding her head, rocking, and humming a tune she didn't remember learning - hoping, somehow, it would make sense when the man at her feet woke up...

He would wake up, wouldn't he?

Liquid trailed down her cheeks. She didn't know.


End file.
